JAPANESE POLICE RAID HOTEL

Southland Times, Issue 23377, 8 December 1937, Page 5

JAPANESE POLICE RAID HOTEL

BRITONS AT SHANGHAI TAKE SERIOUS VIEW

RIGHTS OF SETTLEMENT INFRINGED

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright)

(Received December 7, 6.30 p.m.)

LONDON, December 6.

An “enormously serious” view is taken by a high British official at Shanghai of a raid by Japanese police on the Great Eastern Hotel. Britain is directly concerned because the hotel is owned by Mr Wingon, an Australian, and is registered in Hong Kong; therefore it is entitled to British protection. Many of the servants are of British nationality.

Twelve Japanese consular policemen, armed with rifles and pistols, without warning the settlement police, dashed to the hotel in fast cars disdaining the traffic lights. They arrested three Chinese men and a woman and took them to Hongkew. The police did not give the woman time to dress; she was made to travel in her under-clothing. The quartet was released after an interrogation lasting an hour. The Shanghai Municipal Council protested strongly to the Consular Corps against the arrest of the four Chinese. The corps is expected to complain to the Japanese authorities that it is an infringement of the rights of the settlement. ’ It is believed that the Japanese intend to establish their right to make independent arrests. It is regarded as essential that the British and American consuls should take a firm stand. The British Consul-General (Mr Herbert Phillips), after making representations to the Japanese about the bombing of Wuhu, declares that London must originate further developments. The Nanking correspondent of The Daily Telegraph says that the Chinese casualties on the British steamer Tatung, which was bombed at Wuhu during a Japanese air raid, are not known, but more than 100 persons were mutilated or burned and, some were halfdrowned. All the injured were sent to hospital. A Japanese spokesman insisted that there were thousands of Chinese troops near the British vessels Tatung and Tuck Wo, but this is denied by the British naval authorities. It is revealed that 42 persons were killed at Wuhu during the bombing, including 12 on board the Tuck Wo. The Japanese recorded a direct hit on a Union Jack painted on the roof of the premises of the Butterfield Wire Company, on the Wuhu wharf. The Japanese seized 200 junks moored in the British defence sector of Soochow creek. The Rising Sun was hoisted and the junks were towed from the sector, the occupants being evicted. Several Chinese sank their junks in order to prevent capture. The Commander-in-Chief of the China Station (Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Little) protested to Admiral Hasegawa, the Japanese naval commander, against the bombing of British ships at Wuhu. The Consul-General supported the protest.

JAPANESE TO FORM IMPERIAL COUNCIL

FUTURE POLICY TOWARDS CHINA AND POWERS

(Received December 7, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 7.

The Japanese Cabinet is arranging an Imperial Council, under the presidency of the Emperor, to consider Japan’s policy towards Britain and America and whether Japan shall refrain from recognizing the Chinese Government and leave China independent or declare war, says the Tokyo correspondent of The Times. Viscount Ishii, Japan’s special envoy, is leaving Paris for London tomorrow. He says: “I hope to discuss the Far Eastern situation with the British Foreign Secretary (Mr R. A. Eden). I saw Signor Mussolini but it was agreed that nothing should be published.” Replying to questions in the House of Commons, Mr Eden said that British military officers in Shanghai and the British Ambassador to Tokyo (Sir Robert Craigie) had advised the Japanese that the "victory march” was against their wishes and these representations had been subsequently endorsed by the British Government. It was true that Japan had the right to maintain troops in the International Settlement, but the march was outside the particular sector allowed the Japanese by the defence scheme.